#franchise-tag

#franchise-tag

The projected NFL salary cap for 2026 is $295,500,000. T he Cowboys currently sit at $34,906,087over the cap, with $330,406,087 in cap commitments already on the books. This means flexibility is not something Dallas will have, it's something they will need to create. The franchise tag becomes a timing mechanism. A tool that prevents emerging talent from touching the open-market while Dallas works backwards through extensions, restructures, and cuts.

"I wouldn't mind [staying in Dallas]," Pickens said Wednesday, via Tommy Yarrish of the team website. "The guys in the locker room are super cool; the energy's great. But like I said, I always want to showcase my talents."